brentano



No. 622,1". Patented Mar. 28, I899. S. BRENTANO.

TOY PICTURE BOOK.

(Application filed July 16, 1895.)

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets$heet l.

llllll n4: NORRIS PETERS ce PHOTO LITHO WASHINGTON, n. c.

Patented Mar. 28, I899. S. BRENTANU.

TOY PICTURE BOOK.

(Application filed July 16, 1895.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

n4: NORHlS Perms ca. PHDTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, u, c,

IIN'TTED STATES PATENT UFFTCE.

SIMON BRENTANO, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

TOY PICTURE-BOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 622,111, dated March 28, 1899.

Application filed July 1 6, 189 5.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIMON BRENTANO, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Picture-Books, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention consists, primarily, in a toy picture-book wherein the figures or objects or parts thereof in the pictures are movable and wherein the opening of the leaves of the book automatically sets in motion a motor which through intervening mechanism causes the figures or objects to perform their movements. The movements imparted to the figures or objects are appropriate to the scene depicted and add interest thereto.

Other features of the invention incidental to its primary feature will be hereinafter particularly set forth.

In order that the principles of the invention may be understood, I have selected for illustration and description what I now consider the best means of embodying the same.

The improved toy picture-book is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the toy picturebook open. Fig. 2 is a view of the reverse side of the picture-sheet. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the motor for automatically moving the objects in the picture. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views. 7

For the sake of simplicity and convenience the book is shown with but one picture and but three leaves, two of the leaves shown being the outside covers of the book. Alarger book would simply involve a multiplication of what is here shown. The leaf A, carrying the picture-sheet B, is sufficiently thick to afford a hollow chamber 0 back of the picture sufficiently large'to receive the motor D for actuating the movable parts of the picture. The opposite leaf E serves as the cover for closing and concealing the picture, and'at the same time it is so connected with the actuating-motor that the opening of said leaf E winds up the motor and sets the same into action. The leaf E also contains reading matter appropriate to the exposed picture.

The picture is printed upon or otherwise applied directly or indirctly to a sheet 13 of stiff material of any desired kind, such as cardboard, which may be backed with linen.

Serial No. 5 5 6 ,1 8 8. (No model.)

The picture-sheet is provided with suitable apertures or slits through which connection is made between the movable parts on the face ofthe picture and the motor in the rear.

In the particular picture shown in the drawings there is represented a tropical scene, containing as the principal objects an artist, a tourist, and a leopard. The leopardslower jaw and eyes are depicted upon a slide F, which projects through a slit a in the picturesheet, the projecting end of the slide constitu ting the lower jaw, while the eyes depicted on the slide are seen through apertures 12 b in the picture-sheet. The body G of the artist is pivoted to the face of the picture-sheet by a pivot c. The body H of the tourist is pivoted to the face of the picture-sheet by a pivot d. The head I of the tourist is pivoted to the body H by pivot e. The bodies G H of the artist and tourist are connected by the right arm J of the tourist, which is pivoted by pivots f f thereto. The left arm L of the tourist, pointing at the leopard, extends through a slit gin the picture-sheet. Thesemovable parts F, G, H, I, J, and L are preferably formed of stiff sheet material, the same as the picture-sheet, are cut out with appropriate outlines, and they lie flatly against the face of the picture-sheet.

Fig. 2 shows the lever mechanism which connects the movable parts of the picture with the motor. In the illustrated construction all of the movable parts are moved by a rotary crank-pin M. (Shown in Fig. 3.) Connected with this crank-pin at its outer end is a link N, which at its other end is pivoted at h to a lever O, which in turn is pivoted at 't' to the rear of the picture-sheet. The leopards jaw and eye slide F has a leverarm P, pivoted at j to the rear of the picture sheet, and a link Q, pivoted at 7t at its opposite ends, connects the same with the lever O. The body G of the artist has pasted to its rear a lever-arm R, which extends through a slit Z in the picture-sheet and which is pivoted at m to a link S, which at'its other end is pivoted to the lever O by the pivot h. The head I of the tourist is pivoted to a lever-arm T, extending through a slit n in thepicturesheet, and pivoted at p to the rear of the picture-sheet. The arm L of the tourist has a lever-arm U, pivoted at g to the rear of the picturesheet and also at r to a link V, which at its other end is pivoted at s to the lever 0. As the result of this lever mechanism when the crank-pin M is rotated the lever O is rocked back and forth and the various links and lever-arms execute their movements. The result on the picture is that theleopard opens and closes its jaws and (apparently) rolls its eyes, the tourist shakes, (apparen-tly,) and the artist nods his head and moves the index finger of his left hand back and forth in the direction of the leopard.

The lever mechanism is of course varied to meet the requirements of the particular picture with which it is employed.

The character of the several pivots and the material of which the levers and links of the lever mechanism are composed will be determined in accordance with the special requirements and the price to be charged. A convenient construction of pivot is shown (see Fig. 5) for the pivotj, which is made of wire with coiled heads 6 on opposite faces of the picture-sheet. These pivots preferably extend through metallieally reinforced or eyeleted holes 16, as shown in Fig. 5. The heads of the pivots may be protected by pasting over them a piece a of paper or cloth, as shown over the pivo'tt'. The levers and links N to V, inclusive, are shown as being composed of flat strips of sheet material, but they may conveniently be made of wire or of any other material. To prevent any of the parts sagging-retaining-ban(ls \V may be employed wherever necessary or desirable, which are simply strips of paper or cloth straddling the part or parts to be held and guided in place and pasted at opposite ends to the rear face of the picture-sheet.

The motor mechanism is shown in Fig. 3.

The crank-pin M is connected by a suitable clock-train to an actuating or motor spring X. The cloek-train is mounted between two plates to, the upper of which is not shown in Fig. 3, and the lower plate is secured fast to the leaf A in any suitable manner.

The main wheel Y of the clock-train is fast to an arbor as, and loosely mounted on this arbor is a double barrel Z. (See Fig. 6.) This barrel carries a ratchet 3 which cooperates with a spring-pawl on the main wheel Y, so that said main wheel Y rotates with said barrel when said barrel rotates in one direction only. This barrel carries on its two sections, respectively, oppositely-wound cords 10 and 11. Cord 10 passes around grooved pulley 12, thence around grooved sheave 13, and thence to fixed post 14, to which its end is fastened. The sheave 13 is connected by shackle 15 to the free end of the coiled driving or motor spring X, which at its opposite end is attached to a fixed support 17. The other cord 11 passes and is connected to a winding-drum 18. The clock-train has a suitable fan or other governor 19. Sliding upon the shaft of the winding-drum 18 is a winding-sleeve 21, which has a clutch member 22 cooperating with a clutch member 23 on the winding-drum. A spring 21 couples the two clutch members together. To uncouple the same, a bell-crank trip-lever 25 is employed, one arm 26 of which cooperates with a flange 27 on the winding-sleeve 21. Connected with the \vindingsleeve are two cords 28 and 29. The free end of cord 28 is attached to the leaf E. The free end of the other cord 22 passes through an aperture 30 in the arm 31 of the bell-crank trip-lever 25 and at its free end is attached to one end of a restoringspring 32, which at its other end is attached to the fixed support 17. It is to be noted that bands, wires, or chains may be substituted for the cords 10, 11, 28, and 29.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen the leaf E is opened, the cord 28, attached thereto, unwinds from the winding-sleeve 21 by rotating said sleeve. At the same time the other cord 29 is wound upon the winding-sleeve 21, thus stretching the restoring-spring 32 and putting it under tension. During this movement the winding-sleeve 21 and the winding-drum 18 are clutched together, and consequently the cord 11 is wound upon the drum 18. The winding of cord 11 upon drum 18 causes it to unwind from the double barrel Z by retating said barrel, and hence the cord 10 is wound upon barrel Z, thus stretching the motor-spring X and putting it under tension. During this rotation of the double barrel Z the ratchet y slips upon the pawl z, and hence the clockwork is not affected. \Vhen, however, the leaf E is swung nearly open, a trip 33, carried by the cord 29, encounters the bell-crank trip-lever 25, which thereupon rocks and unelutches the sleeve 21 from the winding drum 18. Thereupon the motorspring X rotates the double barrel Z in the opposite direction, thus driving the clockwork, rotating the crank-pin M, and causing the movable parts of the picture to execute their movements. The movable parts of the picture move until the motor-spring X runs down or contracts. When the motor-spring X has entirely run down, the cord 11 has been 1111- wound from the drum 18 and wound upon the double barrel Z. When the leaf E is closed, the restoring-spring 32 retracts, thus unwinding cord 29 from sleeve 21,rotatin g said'sleeve, and winding upon it the cord 28. During this rotation of the winding-sleeve 21 the clueth members 22 and 23 slip by each other, so that the winding-drum 18 remains stationary. In this manner the several parts are restoredto their normal inactive position ready to operate when the leaf E is again opened. A slit 31 in the picture-sheet is provided, through which the cord 28 extends. (See Fig. 1.)

The chamber C need be only sufficiently large to just hold the motor mechanism, the remainder of the leaf A being solid. Preferably, however, the hollow chamber 0 extends throughout the entire area of the leaf A, (ex- IIO cept for the outer margins 35,) and posts 36 are provided at proper intervals to support the picture-sheet and prevent it from sagging.

The book has been thus far described as having but a single picture. The extension, however, of the size of the book is limited only by the limits of size and expense. In Fig. 4 I have shown in cross-section the book as having two pictures. As there shown, there are three leaves A, E, and E. The central leaf A contains the hollow chamber C, and the two picture-sheets B B are both carried by the central leaf A, which also, as shown, carries two motors D D, one for each picture. It is obvious, however, that both pictures may be actuated by the same motor, in which event both pictures would be operated at the same time when one was invisible.

The capacity of a book having only one or two motors can be indefinitely enlarged by making the picture-sheets removable and interchangeable and providing'a plurality of the picture-sheets. Any convenient means can be employed for removably securing the picturesl1eet inplace, as by thumb-screws 39, as shown in Fig. 4. In such event the outer leaf E is made with a chamber 39, having removable lid 40 to hold the additional picture-sheets. The operating-link N of each picture-sheet is removably connected with the crank-pin M of the motor.

In order to prevent injury to the picturesheet, with its movable figures, it may be and preferably is covered by a sheet of transparent material, such as transparent celluloid, such a sheet being shown at 41 in Figs. 1 and 4. The celluloid sheet should be countersunk within the rim of the leaf A, and preferably should be held out of contact with the picture-sheet, which can be conveniently done by suitable. small pegs 42, constituting portions of the posts 36 and extending through the picture-sheet. As shown in Fig. 4, the celluloid sheet 41 is attached to a marginal rigid removable rim 43.

I claim as my invention 1. A picture-sheet of a picture-book having movable figures thereupon, in combination with a motor carried by the book, intermediate mechanism between said motor and the movable figures, and a leaf of the book closing over the picture-sheet, said leaf being connected with said motor, substantially as set forth, whereby the opening and closing of said leaf controls the action of the motor.

2. A leaf of a picture-book having a motor, in combination with a picture-sheet having movable figures adapted to be moved by said motor, said picture-sheet being removably secured to said leaf and motor, substantially as set forth, whereby a plurality of interchangeable picture-sheets may be operated in succession by said motor.

3. The spring-motor for a toy picture-book attached to one leaf thereof, said motor comprising a clock-train, a double barrel con neeted With said clock-train by a pawl and ratchet, a motor-spring, a Winding-drum, a cord connecting said motor-spring and barrel, and a second cord connecting said barrel and Winding-drum, said cords being wound upon said drum in opposite directions, in combination with a rotary and sliding winding-sleeve, a clutch between said windingsleeve and winding-drum, a trip-lever for disengaging said sleeve and drum, a spring for engaging said sleeve and drum, a restoringspring, a leaf of the picture-book, a cord conmeeting said winding-sleeve and restoringspring having a trip for tripping said triplever,and a second cord connecting said winding-sleeve with said leaf of the picture-book, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIMON BRENTANO.

Witnesses:

THOMAS CADIGAN, FRANK ALLEN. 

